Monday, July 16, 2007

I have had my first and second "Harry Potter" themed programs, both at the Cincinnati Museum Center. I have always loved Union Terminal and the three museums inside. I thought of Pam while driving up to it today, due to the history of it all. The building was originally built in 1933 as the Union Terminal train station, and was renovated in the late 1980's and turned into museums. There's the Cincinnati History Museum, the Museum of Natural History and Science, and the Children's Museum. I remember thinking back when they started that no one would want to go there. I have been known to be wrong. Occasionally. Rarely. Okay, it like hardly ever happens. Anyway, I enjoyed getting in the building through the loading docks, and seeing the "backstage" scenes. The programs are all about owls. and I have a feeling that I will be thoroughly tired of the owls before this is all over. I have 2 programs on Thursday, 3 programs on Friday, and 2 programs on Saturday. All about Harry Potter. And all about owls.

Finally got a nice picture of one of our male goldfinches on the sunflowers. And this time, he is not showing his who-ha.

Plant milkweed for Monarchs, and I get milkweed bugs.They are pretty though, aren't they?

While sitting on the swing in the back yard, I was stunned to see Isabelle tripping all over herself trying to get to me from the other side of the yard.She had found a frog in my "pond".I am assuming it is a young bullfrog. When I saw the spots, I thought maybe it was a leopard frog, but I don't think so now. Another point for Susan Gets Native's yard. If you build it, they will come!I love my sunflowers. The sky was a perfect backdrop for them today.

I have been trying to get a nice picture of both of the girls, happy and not fighting or grimacing at the camera. And tonight I got one.Yep, they're cute. And they're mine.Look at Miss Beanpole Isabelle. From her height at 3 years, we estimate that she will be 6 feet tall. We have a hard time finding pants for her. She has a 4T waist and 6T legs.Lorelei, I think, is destined to be of average height, maybe 5 foot 5 in. She's all torso and short legs. My girls. So beautiful.But for all that cuteness, they can suck the life outta ya.

A worry of mine:I have another strange bug bite on my hip. I have had these before (a week before my nasty kidney infection) I don't know if the two are related, but the last time I had one of these bites, I spent two days on the couch with muscle and joint pain, like I had pulled every muscle in my body. I think it's time to call the doctor. In my Internet research, the closest thing I have been able to find is Lyme disease. But I am getting these bites in my sleep, under my clothes. That made me think they were spider bites, but I have yet to find any spiders in our bed. And Geoff is not getting bitten by anything. And he's sweeter than me!

Definitely time to get to the Doctor. Lyme's disease is nothing to fool with. Have you considered bed bugs? Seriously, one of the ladies I work with kept coming in with these bites but she couldn't figure out where they were coming from. Til she saw these little things crawling around on her couch & cross referenced them on the Internet. Apparently they've been especially prolific this year!

Three museums in a train station, how cool is that! I love the creatures that are appearing in your native yard - yay for you!! Your sunflower against the blue sky is gorgeous! I love the photo of your sweet girls! Bugbites, argh, I hope you're okay!

Click on this link when you are having a bad day and need a giggle

A Glossary for newcomers to the blog:

"Embrace your Inner Sheep": You'll just have to read back a ways for the explanation of that one.

FTS (Also known as F*** the Swainsons): When you just cannot, under any circumstances, get out and look at another bird today. That's it. I don't care what it is. F*** the Swainsons!

The Flock: A group of women (and a few men thrown in for good measure) who met here in Cyberspace and now travel together to birding festivals. We are unique in this because birders don't usually travel in "packs".

Learning Lemur: (See Science Chimp)

RAPTOR: A Cincinnati-based rehab center for birds of prey (also where I work)

Science Chimp: A term coined by Julie Zickefoose. Meaning anyone who sees something nature-oriented (whether it be scat or bones or the scene of a predator strike) and MUST figure out the circumstances. There is much grunting and "eep-eep-eeping" involved in a full-on Science Chimp display. Someone who is learning the art of Chimping can be called a "Learning Lemur".

"Squeee!": This is a noise you make when something is so cute or perfect, no other word will do.

"What? Lynne has herpes?": What your blogger heard and said during a quiet moment at an owl prowl when someone said that Lynne (Hasty Brook) has groupies.